There are many reasons for someone’s power suddenly going out. Most of the time, the reasons for no electricity aren’t much to worry about and someone can fix them quickly. Other times, there can be more serious issues. Here are 7 causes of a power outage.

Internal

More often than not, many power outages are caused by internal problems, as in selective to a specific home.

1. Fuse Tripped

This happens when too many appliances or electronic devices are running at the same time on a single fuse. Fuses have a safety feature to turn off if they detect too much power is being drawn at once. A simple fix is to reset the fuse and reduce how many appliances or devices are in use at the same time.

2. Circuit Breaker Issues

If fuses keep flipping while using low power, or perhaps for no reason whatsoever, the circuit breaker might be the problem. A trained electrician can help diagnose and fix the issues with this circuit breaker.

3. Too Many Power Boards

Nowadays, many people are running a lot of electronics and they use power boards to expand on their outlets. But if there are too many power boards out of one outlet, or in a select area, they can cause outages.

External Causes

These outages are caused by events or situations outside of someone’s home. All the electrical equipment installed is working perfectly, but something outside cutting the power.

4. Unpaid Electricity Bill

Nowadays with automatic bill pay, many people don’t have issues paying their electricity on time. However, there is the chance someone forgets to pay the bill on time or doesn’t have the funds, or perhaps there’s an issue with the payment. One quick call to the electricity provider can solve this issue, but it is still a hassle.

5. Weather

Storms with high winds, heavy rain, and lightning can cause damage to the power grid and cause blackouts. The severity of these accidents can differ and impact either an entire city or just a select neighborhood. It’s important that before any storm to charge devices, make sure sensitive electronics aren’t running, and prepare emergency supplies if the power does go out.

6. Human Accidents

The power grid is everywhere, and sometimes people accidentally cause damage to the power grid equipment. A builder can drive a pole into an underground power line and cut power to the neighborhood. Someone might have driven into a utility pole and caused enough damage to take it out. In these cases, power can be restored quickly once an electrician is brought to the scene.

7. Excessive Power Demand

When it’s hot outside and many people are using electricity all at once, the power grid can be under a lot of stress and suddenly shut down. These outages can last a few hours before the system is fixed, but they still are an inconvenience.

Stay Aware of Outages

These reasons for no electricity can be a cause for concern, but knowing the common causes can offer peace of mind of why power suddenly goes out. Many are not to be feared and require just a little fix or some patience before power is restored.

• Prev
• Next